Synthetic intelligence (AI) engine Perplexity has installed a $34.5 billion bid to buy Google Chrome.
In a observation to PhocusWire, a Perplexity spokesperson mentioned the be offering displays the corporate’s determination to the open internet and to person selection and continuity.
The spokesperson defined a number of “commitments” it made as a part of its be offering, together with ongoing funding in Chromium, which Chrome is constructed on, and a pledge to by no means “stealthily” exchange Chrome’s default seek engine. The corporate additionally mentioned it is going to make gives to current Chrome staff and supply over 8 years of enhance for Chrome customers.
Google declined to remark.
Shuttle trade leaders mentioned the be offering comes with difficult context.
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“[The proposed bid] is a long way from a easy, black‑and‑white acquisition, however somewhat a strategic play layered with contradictions,” mentioned Marina Petrova, co-founder and CEO of Intentful. “On one hand, Perplexity has billed itself as a Google ‘killer,’ but in its bid it commits to holding Google Seek because the default in Chrome, albeit person‑changeable.”
Perplexity’s bid comes amid Google’s ongoing antitrust battles within the United States and in another country and as AI reshapes seek—most likely rendering search engine marketing (search engine marketing) out of date. Perplexity has already entered the commute house thru partnerships with Selfbook, a PhocusWire Sizzling 25 Shuttle Startup for 2023, and Tripadvisor.
This isn’t the primary time Perplexity has made an be offering that’s captured consideration both. In January, Perplexity introduced to merge with TikTok because the social media platform confronted a possible shutdown in the USA.
Examining Perplexity’s motivations
Trade leaders’ range on why Perplexity made a play to obtain Google Chrome.
For Google, giving up Chrome would pose a loss, for the reason that Chrome supplies a venue for amassing person information to energy Google’s advert system, in keeping with Marc Mekki, founder and guide at Encourage Countless. Alternatively, it might be a win for Perplexity.
“I feel traders know that, which is why they’ll luckily give them [more than $30 billion] to fund the acquisition, even though Perplexity is ‘best’ value $18 billion,” Mekki mentioned. “They would not simply be purchasing a browser; they would be purchasing the web’s entrance door. They are going to bypass Google’s seek effects totally and serve up AI solutions without delay to customers.”
Mario Gavira, vice chairman of worldwide enlargement and logo at Kiwi.com, who has been vocal in regards to the agentic AI and the way forward for commute, mentioned the bid might function a “sensible energy play” to cement the corporate’s place as an opponent to Google, particularly as the hunt large sits tight looking ahead to antitrust rulings.
“It can be a strategic transfer to capitalize on Google’s regulatory demanding situations and place themselves prominently within the AI browser house,” Gavira mentioned.
Shir Ibgui, founder and CEO of Globe Thrivers, additionally mentioned Perplexity’s transfer used to be “daring and strategic.”
They would not simply be purchasing a browser; they would be purchasing the web’s entrance door. They are going to bypass Google’s seek effects totally and serve up AI solutions without delay to customers.
Marc Mekki, Encourage Countless
“With Chrome’s 3.5+ billion customers and the DOJ pushing Google to divest, it might place Perplexity to straight away personal the browser layer and gas its AI seek dominance,” Ibgui mentioned. “It’s been a combat between LLMs for regulate over the muse and seek layer for a few years now, and this transfer displays they need to skip the sluggish construct.”
Ibgui mentioned she doubts Google needs to let Chrome pass. As a substitute, she sees this as an influence play by way of Perplexity.
Alternatively, it is also a “determined” transfer to stay related, Gavira mentioned.
“In a panorama the place person information is more and more vital to feed AI fashions with context, chatbots will most likely change into changed by way of AI browsers,” Gavira mentioned, including that OpenAI and Microsoft are running on AI browsers and Google is including Gemini-powered AI options into Chrome.
“Obtaining Chrome might be Perplexity’s best viable means for his or her lately introduced browser ‘Comet’ to leapfrog the distribution energy of those giants.”
Is it a exposure stunt?
Moreover, the bid can be a exposure stunt to seize headlines and draw consideration to Google’s antitrust case, Gavira mentioned, pointing to Perplexity’s TikTok be offering.
“This technique permits Perplexity to ‘personal a information cycle for an afternoon’ and get folks speaking about what Perplexity is, its personal browser and its giant ambitions,” Gavira mentioned. “In spite of the bid being formal and sponsored by way of ‘more than one huge funding budget,’ it’s double Perplexity’s personal estimated $18 billion valuation; Google has little interest in promoting and may attraction any ruling for years.”
Conor Grennan, leader AI architect for New York College’s Stern Faculty of Trade, agreed. He posited that the bids for Chrome and TikTok aren’t severe acquisition makes an attempt.
“They are calculated PR stunts designed to inflate their perceived marketplace place and valuation within the AI hands race,” Grennan mentioned, arguing that the maths simply doesn’t paintings.
“Perplexity has raised best $1.5 billion general, but they are making gives value 20 to 35 instances their investment,” he mentioned. “Each objectives are not if truth be told on the market—Google vows to attraction the antitrust ruling whilst ByteDance would possibly not promote TikTok.”
Perplexity’s messaging, Grennan mentioned, frames the bid as an “antitrust treatment” and vows to stay Google as the hunt engine default. Grennan mentioned this is “ordinary for a seek competitor.” Plus, the timing aligns with their valuation’s fast upward thrust, which he mentioned is up 35-fold from early 2024 when it sat at $520 million.
“If you end up bidding two to a few instances your individual valuation for property that would possibly not be offered, you are enjoying the eye recreation, now not the purchase recreation,” Grennan mentioned.
All issues thought to be, trade leaders mentioned the bid most likely has many contributing components.
“Over fresh months, Perplexity has despatched blended messages: from time to time signaling competitive information monitoring, whilst at others promising unbiased, privacy-oriented fashions,” Petrova mentioned. “Taken in combination, their movements counsel an try to seize each information and marketplace proportion, wrapped in PR-friendly language that doesn’t at all times hang up below scrutiny.”
Shuttle trade have an effect on
It is unclear whether or not Perplexity if truth be told may or would acquire Google Chrome. But when a sale like this had been to occur, it might adjust commute discovery and accentuate browser wars, in keeping with Ibgui.
“Shuttle inspiration isn’t coming from Google seek effects anymore,” Ibgui mentioned. “It’s going down thru TikToks, Reddit threads, Reels, Pinterest and in recent times increasingly more thru AI equipment like ChatGPT, Claude and Perplexity itself.”
The highest-of-funnel, she mentioned, has already shifted from static seek to dynamic, social-first discovery. If Perplexity had been to possess Chrome, it might now not best regulate seek however what folks see first on-line.
“That has massive implications for commute. A traveler may pass from looking at a TikTok video to asking AI the place it used to be filmed, tips on how to get there and what else to do within reach, all with out ever touchdown on a weblog, OTA or conventional web page,” Ibgui mentioned. “Shuttle manufacturers must reconsider how they display up throughout that complete AI-curated adventure.”
Jason Noronha, co-founder of D3x, a PhocusWire Sizzling 25 Shuttle Startup for 2025, perspectives the possible acquisition as unbelievable information on the subject of leveling the enjoying box.
Everybody within the commute trade must focal point now on making sure their web sites are structured and optimized for discoverability throughout all seek and conversational platforms, whether or not powered by way of Google, Perplexity or the following technology of AI-driven browsers.
Marina Petrova, Intentful
“After 15 years in hospitality, it’s been irritating looking at the net lodge panorama ruled by way of Google and Reserving.com,” Noronha mentioned. “Contemporary pageant isn’t simply welcome—it’s late.”
Noronha added that the way forward for commute can be agentic and mentioned AI will seamlessly flip traveler intent into reserving.
And whilst primary AI launches—comparable to that of OpenAI’s Operator—have proven commute as a use case instance, the trade is looking ahead to real-world implementation, and an acquisition like this may exchange that, Noronha mentioned.
“The generation is already succesful,” Noronha mentioned. “If Perplexity had been to make this acquisition, it might be the jolt our sector wishes—a spanner within the works of a gadget that has been stagnant (and extractive) for too lengthy.”
The purchase would imply the top of blue hyperlinks, with Perplexity turning into the brand new intermediary, offering direct solutions, in keeping with Mekki, who characterised that hypothetical state of affairs as “beautiful disruptive.”
“The ripple results can be massive for everybody else too. Content material creators, publishers, companies that depend on search engine marketing,” Mekki mentioned. “The entire ‘get folks to consult with your web page’ type would wish a major reconsider.”
Even with out the ramifications of a possible acquisition, seek is already moving.
“The actual disruption here’s visibility. Rating on Google isn’t sufficient anymore,” Ibgui mentioned. “The brand new recreation is appearing up within AI workflows. Agentic seek is already reshaping search engine marketing, and if this sale went thru, we’d be racing even sooner towards GEO.”
Gavira mentioned there’s little the commute trade to do with the tips for now, and he steered that specialize in navigating the continuing disruption of seek advertising and marketing.
Petrova used to be at the identical web page. Without reference to how Perplexity’s be offering performs out, natural site visitors will proceed to say no, and that’s what commute manufacturers must be taking note of.
“Everybody within the commute trade must focal point now on making sure their web sites are structured and optimized for discoverability throughout all seek and conversational platforms, whether or not powered by way of Google, Perplexity or the following technology of AI-driven browsers,” Petrova mentioned.
Synthetic intelligence (AI) engine Perplexity has installed a $34.5 billion bid to buy Google Chrome.
In a observation to PhocusWire, a Perplexity spokesperson mentioned the be offering displays the corporate’s determination to the open internet and to person selection and continuity.
The spokesperson defined a number of “commitments” it made as a part of its be offering, together with ongoing funding in Chromium, which Chrome is constructed on, and a pledge to by no means “stealthily” exchange Chrome’s default seek engine. The corporate additionally mentioned it is going to make gives to current Chrome staff and supply over 8 years of enhance for Chrome customers.
Google declined to remark.
Shuttle trade leaders mentioned the be offering comes with difficult context.
Subscribe to our publication beneath
“[The proposed bid] is a long way from a easy, black‑and‑white acquisition, however somewhat a strategic play layered with contradictions,” mentioned Marina Petrova, co-founder and CEO of Intentful. “On one hand, Perplexity has billed itself as a Google ‘killer,’ but in its bid it commits to holding Google Seek because the default in Chrome, albeit person‑changeable.”
Perplexity’s bid comes amid Google’s ongoing antitrust battles within the United States and in another country and as AI reshapes seek—most likely rendering search engine marketing (search engine marketing) out of date. Perplexity has already entered the commute house thru partnerships with Selfbook, a PhocusWire Sizzling 25 Shuttle Startup for 2023, and Tripadvisor.
This isn’t the primary time Perplexity has made an be offering that’s captured consideration both. In January, Perplexity introduced to merge with TikTok because the social media platform confronted a possible shutdown in the USA.
Examining Perplexity’s motivations
Trade leaders’ range on why Perplexity made a play to obtain Google Chrome.
For Google, giving up Chrome would pose a loss, for the reason that Chrome supplies a venue for amassing person information to energy Google’s advert system, in keeping with Marc Mekki, founder and guide at Encourage Countless. Alternatively, it might be a win for Perplexity.
“I feel traders know that, which is why they’ll luckily give them [more than $30 billion] to fund the acquisition, even though Perplexity is ‘best’ value $18 billion,” Mekki mentioned. “They would not simply be purchasing a browser; they would be purchasing the web’s entrance door. They are going to bypass Google’s seek effects totally and serve up AI solutions without delay to customers.”
Mario Gavira, vice chairman of worldwide enlargement and logo at Kiwi.com, who has been vocal in regards to the agentic AI and the way forward for commute, mentioned the bid might function a “sensible energy play” to cement the corporate’s place as an opponent to Google, particularly as the hunt large sits tight looking ahead to antitrust rulings.
“It can be a strategic transfer to capitalize on Google’s regulatory demanding situations and place themselves prominently within the AI browser house,” Gavira mentioned.
Shir Ibgui, founder and CEO of Globe Thrivers, additionally mentioned Perplexity’s transfer used to be “daring and strategic.”
They would not simply be purchasing a browser; they would be purchasing the web’s entrance door. They are going to bypass Google’s seek effects totally and serve up AI solutions without delay to customers.
Marc Mekki, Encourage Countless
“With Chrome’s 3.5+ billion customers and the DOJ pushing Google to divest, it might place Perplexity to straight away personal the browser layer and gas its AI seek dominance,” Ibgui mentioned. “It’s been a combat between LLMs for regulate over the muse and seek layer for a few years now, and this transfer displays they need to skip the sluggish construct.”
Ibgui mentioned she doubts Google needs to let Chrome pass. As a substitute, she sees this as an influence play by way of Perplexity.
Alternatively, it is also a “determined” transfer to stay related, Gavira mentioned.
“In a panorama the place person information is more and more vital to feed AI fashions with context, chatbots will most likely change into changed by way of AI browsers,” Gavira mentioned, including that OpenAI and Microsoft are running on AI browsers and Google is including Gemini-powered AI options into Chrome.
“Obtaining Chrome might be Perplexity’s best viable means for his or her lately introduced browser ‘Comet’ to leapfrog the distribution energy of those giants.”
Is it a exposure stunt?
Moreover, the bid can be a exposure stunt to seize headlines and draw consideration to Google’s antitrust case, Gavira mentioned, pointing to Perplexity’s TikTok be offering.
“This technique permits Perplexity to ‘personal a information cycle for an afternoon’ and get folks speaking about what Perplexity is, its personal browser and its giant ambitions,” Gavira mentioned. “In spite of the bid being formal and sponsored by way of ‘more than one huge funding budget,’ it’s double Perplexity’s personal estimated $18 billion valuation; Google has little interest in promoting and may attraction any ruling for years.”
Conor Grennan, leader AI architect for New York College’s Stern Faculty of Trade, agreed. He posited that the bids for Chrome and TikTok aren’t severe acquisition makes an attempt.
“They are calculated PR stunts designed to inflate their perceived marketplace place and valuation within the AI hands race,” Grennan mentioned, arguing that the maths simply doesn’t paintings.
“Perplexity has raised best $1.5 billion general, but they are making gives value 20 to 35 instances their investment,” he mentioned. “Each objectives are not if truth be told on the market—Google vows to attraction the antitrust ruling whilst ByteDance would possibly not promote TikTok.”
Perplexity’s messaging, Grennan mentioned, frames the bid as an “antitrust treatment” and vows to stay Google as the hunt engine default. Grennan mentioned this is “ordinary for a seek competitor.” Plus, the timing aligns with their valuation’s fast upward thrust, which he mentioned is up 35-fold from early 2024 when it sat at $520 million.
“If you end up bidding two to a few instances your individual valuation for property that would possibly not be offered, you are enjoying the eye recreation, now not the purchase recreation,” Grennan mentioned.
All issues thought to be, trade leaders mentioned the bid most likely has many contributing components.
“Over fresh months, Perplexity has despatched blended messages: from time to time signaling competitive information monitoring, whilst at others promising unbiased, privacy-oriented fashions,” Petrova mentioned. “Taken in combination, their movements counsel an try to seize each information and marketplace proportion, wrapped in PR-friendly language that doesn’t at all times hang up below scrutiny.”
Shuttle trade have an effect on
It is unclear whether or not Perplexity if truth be told may or would acquire Google Chrome. But when a sale like this had been to occur, it might adjust commute discovery and accentuate browser wars, in keeping with Ibgui.
“Shuttle inspiration isn’t coming from Google seek effects anymore,” Ibgui mentioned. “It’s going down thru TikToks, Reddit threads, Reels, Pinterest and in recent times increasingly more thru AI equipment like ChatGPT, Claude and Perplexity itself.”
The highest-of-funnel, she mentioned, has already shifted from static seek to dynamic, social-first discovery. If Perplexity had been to possess Chrome, it might now not best regulate seek however what folks see first on-line.
“That has massive implications for commute. A traveler may pass from looking at a TikTok video to asking AI the place it used to be filmed, tips on how to get there and what else to do within reach, all with out ever touchdown on a weblog, OTA or conventional web page,” Ibgui mentioned. “Shuttle manufacturers must reconsider how they display up throughout that complete AI-curated adventure.”
Jason Noronha, co-founder of D3x, a PhocusWire Sizzling 25 Shuttle Startup for 2025, perspectives the possible acquisition as unbelievable information on the subject of leveling the enjoying box.
Everybody within the commute trade must focal point now on making sure their web sites are structured and optimized for discoverability throughout all seek and conversational platforms, whether or not powered by way of Google, Perplexity or the following technology of AI-driven browsers.
Marina Petrova, Intentful
“After 15 years in hospitality, it’s been irritating looking at the net lodge panorama ruled by way of Google and Reserving.com,” Noronha mentioned. “Contemporary pageant isn’t simply welcome—it’s late.”
Noronha added that the way forward for commute can be agentic and mentioned AI will seamlessly flip traveler intent into reserving.
And whilst primary AI launches—comparable to that of OpenAI’s Operator—have proven commute as a use case instance, the trade is looking ahead to real-world implementation, and an acquisition like this may exchange that, Noronha mentioned.
“The generation is already succesful,” Noronha mentioned. “If Perplexity had been to make this acquisition, it might be the jolt our sector wishes—a spanner within the works of a gadget that has been stagnant (and extractive) for too lengthy.”
The purchase would imply the top of blue hyperlinks, with Perplexity turning into the brand new intermediary, offering direct solutions, in keeping with Mekki, who characterised that hypothetical state of affairs as “beautiful disruptive.”
“The ripple results can be massive for everybody else too. Content material creators, publishers, companies that depend on search engine marketing,” Mekki mentioned. “The entire ‘get folks to consult with your web page’ type would wish a major reconsider.”
Even with out the ramifications of a possible acquisition, seek is already moving.
“The actual disruption here’s visibility. Rating on Google isn’t sufficient anymore,” Ibgui mentioned. “The brand new recreation is appearing up within AI workflows. Agentic seek is already reshaping search engine marketing, and if this sale went thru, we’d be racing even sooner towards GEO.”
Gavira mentioned there’s little the commute trade to do with the tips for now, and he steered that specialize in navigating the continuing disruption of seek advertising and marketing.
Petrova used to be at the identical web page. Without reference to how Perplexity’s be offering performs out, natural site visitors will proceed to say no, and that’s what commute manufacturers must be taking note of.
“Everybody within the commute trade must focal point now on making sure their web sites are structured and optimized for discoverability throughout all seek and conversational platforms, whether or not powered by way of Google, Perplexity or the following technology of AI-driven browsers,” Petrova mentioned.
